Native Americans swept up by ICE suffer indignity of broken borders on ancient land

A federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has resulted in the detention of several enrolled members of sovereign tribal nations, prompting accusations of racial profiling and treaty violations from tribal leaders who say their citizens, who are U.S. citizens by birthright, are being mistakenly targeted.

The operation, which has surged thousands of federal agents into the area, was initiated by the Trump administration and has been met with widespread local protest and legal challenges. Tribal governments now allege that the dragnet is ensnaring the continent’s original inhabitants.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out stated this week that four of its enrolled members were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

One has been released, but three remain in custody at an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, south of the Twin Cities. In a statement, Star Comes Out called the detentions “a treaty violation,” adding, “Treaties are not optional. Sovereignty is not conditional. Our citizens are not negotiable”.

The site of their detention, Fort Snelling, carries profound historical weight for Indigenous people. In 1862, U.S. forces imprisoned approximately 1,700 Dakota people there following the U.S.-Dakota War, where many died; survivors were later exiled.

“The irony is not lost on us,” Star Comes Out said.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has disputed the tribe’s account.

In a response to inquiries, a DHS spokesperson said, “We have not been able to verify any claims that DHS law enforcement arrested or even encountered members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe”.

The spokesperson added that the agency had asked the tribe for basic information about the individuals to investigate but denied asking the tribe to “enter into an immigration agreement with ICE”.

However, President Star Comes Out contends that when the tribe sought information, federal authorities suggested that providing details would be contingent on the tribe entering a cooperation agreement.

ICE actively promotes its “287(g) program,” which allows it to delegate immigration enforcement authority to state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.

This incident is not isolated.

The Native American Rights Fund recently published a “know your rights” guide in response to ICE operations, specifically noting that “ICE has targeted Tribal citizens and descendants”. The guide advises tribal members to carry identification and calmly state their citizenship if detained.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians issued a statement condemning ICE activities that “rely on intimidation and racial profiling,” urging its citizens to carry tribal ID. Similarly, a group of 15 U.S. Senators has written to DHS expressing “growing concern” over reports of U.S.-born tribal citizens being stopped and questioned.

The Minneapolis operation escalated following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on Jan. 7, which sparked national protests.

In response to ongoing unrest, President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty military personnel in the city.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s governor and attorney general have sued the administration, calling the enforcement surge a “federal invasion”.

For tribal nations, the issue strikes at the core of sovereignty and historical memory. As one legal scholar noted, the detentions at Fort Snelling represent a “continuation of the monopoly of violence from the military outpost to the ICE facility”.